David Cameron will today visit the assembly site of the largest warship ever
ordered by the Royal Navy in a clear signal that an independent Scotland
would lose out on billions of pounds of UK defence projects.

David Cameron and Alex Salmond will meet in Edinburgh today to sign a deal for a Scottish independence referendumPhoto: AFP

Hours before signing a deal with Alex Salmond to stage an independence referendum, the Prime Minister will visit the Rosyth shipyard in Fife where the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is being assembled.

The Daily Telegraph understands his visit to the multi-billion pound project is intended to illustrate economic and security advantages that Scotland would lose if the 305-year-old Union with England ends.

Mr Cameron will then travel to Edinburgh to sign the agreement with the Scottish First Minister, which will see him transfer the powers necessary to stage a legal referendum in autumn 2014.

The SNP-dominated Scottish Parliament will be given the power to decide the vote’s date, franchise and wording on the ballot paper but a former Scottish Secretary said the deal still represented a “comprehensive defeat” for Mr Salmond

Sir Malcolm Rifkind said the First Minister’s failure to secure a second ‘extra powers’ question was far more significant than all the other elements combined and a series of safeguards would ensure the Nationalists cannot manipulate the vote.

Speaking before the meeting, Mr Cameron said: “Scotland's two governments have come together to deliver a referendum which will be legal, fair and decisive. This marks the beginning of an important chapter in Scotland's story and allows the real debate to begin.

"It is now up to the people of Scotland to make that historic decision. The very future of Scotland depends on their verdict. It is that important. This agreement delivers the people's referendum."

A source close to Mr Cameron said his visit to Rosyth was meant to illustrate how “Scotland is benefiting the UK with the expertise in the shipyards and Scotland benefits from the UK with the scale of defence.”

Mr Salmond also welcomed the referendum deal, saying: “The agreement will see Scotland take an important step toward independence and the means to create a fairer and more prosperous Scotland.”

But Sir Malcolm, flatly rejected a claim by Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, another Tory former Scottish Secretary, that the agreement represented a “walkover” for the First Minister.

“The most important issue by far was whether there was one question or two on the ballot paper. In that Salmond has suffered a comprehensive defeat,” Sir Malcolm said.

“That is very satisfactory – the other issues are important but relatively less so. The fact that he wanted to have two questions in the first place was a massive admission that he could not win a vote on the Union.”

Although the deal effectively gives the Scottish Parliament control over the franchise, Sir Malcolm said the First Minister’s promise to give all 16 and 17-year-olds the vote “does not add up to a row of beans”.

This newspaper disclosed last week this will be extremely difficult because the power to create a new register of voters is not being devolved.

This means they will have to use the current register, which will only contain the names of youngsters older than 16 years and 10 months when the referendum is staged.

Sir Malcolm was similarly relaxed about the Scottish Parliament having control over the question’s wording after the UK Government ensured the Electoral Commission will oversee the referendum.

The First Minister’s preference, asking Scots whether they agree with independence, was criticised as biased earlier this year but will now be tested by the commission for fairness.

Michael Moore, the Scottish Secretary, yesterday denied Mr Salmond had “run rings” round the UK Government and said both sides were happy with an agreement that will ensure the referendum is “made in Scotland”.

The deal will see the Prime Minister agree to transfer the powers to the Scottish Parliament to hold a legal referendum using a legislative device called a section 30 order.

The vote will be held in autumn 2014, as Mr Salmond wanted, but the Prime Minister personally insisted on a ‘sunset clause’ to prevent the SNP delaying it if opinion polls suggest they are losing.

Alistair Darling, who is leading the Better Together campaign to keep Scotland part of the UK, said he was pleased a deal had been reached. He added: “The key thing at stake in these negotiations was to get the single question.”

Nicola Sturgeon, the Deputy First Minister, admitted Mr Salmond had been forced to abandon the inclusion a second question as part of a “compromise”.